Results 7,301-7,320 of 7,385 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants of local authority houses that are available for sale under the scheme. The scheme is underpinned by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, as amended by the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2023. The regulations...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Hedge Cutting (15 May 2025)

James Browne: Restrictions on cutting hedgerows are set out in Section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976, as amended. This Act stipulates that it is an offence to destroy vegetation on uncultivated land between 1 March and 31 August each year. It is a significant legal protection for our hedgerows and recognises the importance of this habitat for many species and as wildlife corridors. Good quality hedgerows are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 May 2025)

James Browne: Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment which is being provided for the delivery of Housing in 2025, with overall capital funding available of €6.8 billion. The capital provision is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Biodiversity Plan (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) 2023-2030 was published in January 2024 and sets out Ireland’s vision for biodiversity, that by 2050 ‘Biodiversity in Ireland is valued, conserved, restored and sustainably used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people’. The Plan strives for a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (15 May 2025)

James Browne: I assume that the Question refers to developer provided waste water treatment plants (commonly called DPI) in housing estates that are not in the charge of local authorities. With effect from 1 January 2024, Uisce Éireann, as the national water authority, is responsible for the progressive remediation of DPI infrastructure nationally. It is not the intention that Uisce Éireann...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Budgets (15 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 238 and 239 together. Appendix 4 in the Revised Estimates of Expenditure (REV) relates to the Public Capital Programme of Voted and Non-Voted Estimates in relation to my Department. The €490m relates to Uisce Éireann’s own internal income/own resources and consists of budgeted commercial funding for 2025, which is made up of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The table at the link below summarises the bodies under the aegis of my Department that were established in the last 10 years, detailing year of establishment and the funding provided to each during the period since establishment.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The clear focus of Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. This is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular, to preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness, which unquestionably must be the priority for all local authorities including Kildare County Council. My Department is continuing to provide substantial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Ongoing data in relation to vacant local authority owned homes is not routinely collated by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future includes a number of commitments to deliver “Practical Housing Options for Positive Ageing”. These commitments build upon the policy objectives in Housing for All, which commit to increasing the housing options available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence. Work on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 May 2025)

James Browne: I have made €325 million available to our local authorities for their social housing second-hand acquisitions activity in 2025. The allocation of this funding across the local authorities is as follows: Local Authority 2025 Allocation Carlow €3,500,000 Cavan €2,000,000 Clare ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (15 May 2025)

James Browne: There are a number of housing estates across the country - including the estate named in the details supplied - that rely on developer provided water services infrastructure (commonly called DPI) for their water services. These estates have not, as yet, been taken-in-charge and their water services are not connected to the public Uisce Éireann network. With effect from 1 January...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rural Schemes (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 651, 675 and 676 together. The Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP) is the main funding stream providing capital funding to address the challenges faced by rural dwellers with their water services. Under the MARWP there is one specific measure that is providing funding to local authorities for projects to address the wastewater collection and treatment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 652 and 782 together. My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People scheme, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People, the Mobility Aids...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 653, 654, 707 and 708 together. While the Planning and Development Act 2024 was enacted in October 2024, it is not yet commenced and the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended and associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001 remain in force. A review of the current Exempted Development Regulations is ongoing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (13 May 2025)

James Browne: A Government decision in December 2023 agreed that a working group should be established to examine a sustainable funding model for the LDA, and that it will report to the Housing for All Investment Group. The Housing for All Investment Group is chaired by the Department of Finance and the Department of An Taoiseach is the secretariat to the group. The Terms of Reference consist of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (13 May 2025)

James Browne: Part 9 of the Land Development Agency Act 2021 provides that planning permission will be granted for residential development on land that was relevant public land on 1 January 2023 on condition that a certain percentage of dwellings on the land are designated and leased as cost rental, or, transferred to the ownership of the planning authority, or, to a Local Authority Affordable Purchase...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (13 May 2025)

James Browne: A flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is supporting a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and development of Ireland’s five cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (13 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities. To assist in ensuring...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rural Schemes (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 663, 664, 665, 666, 667, 668, 669, 670 and 671 together. In relation to the issues raised, the Deputy will be aware that the revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was approved by Government and both Houses of the Oireachtas in April 2025 and sets out an all-of-Government high level vision for the future development of our country to 2040. The NPF...